Valve for automatic fire-extinguishers.



No. 832,580. PATENTED- OCT. 2, 1906. (LW. KERSTETER.

VALVE FOR AUTOMATIG FIRE EXTINGUISHERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYBS, 1905;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' 'No. 832,580 PATENTED 001?. 2, 1906.

0. w. KERSTETER. VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC rm: EXTINGUISHBRS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES W. KERSTETER, OF CHICAGO, IL'L'INOI'S.

VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER'S- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1906.

Application filed May 23,1905. Serial No. 261,791.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. KER- STETER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook'and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valvesfor Automatic F ire-Extinguishers, of Which the following is aspecification;

The present invention relates to what is known in the art as the mainvalve of a dry pipe stationary automatic fire eXtinguishing system.

The invention relates more particularly to the means through the mediumof which the water-valve is held seated by the pressure of the air inthe system operating upon the top side of the air-valve. In valves ofthis type great difficulty is experienced in preventing water-hammerfrom unseating the watervalve, the unseating of which results in theunseating of the air-valve, with a consequent escape of water past theone and air past the other.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means throughthe medium of which the water-valve is held seated by the air-valve,while at the same time the impulses, which are many times-sudden andpowerful, are prevented from unseating the valve.

In some valves of the type referred to straining mechanism isincorporated between the Water-valve and the air-valve, the object ofthis straining mechanism being to exert upon the water-valve asufiicient pressure to hold it seated against the pressure of the waterbeneath it. This straining mechanism reacts indirectly against theair-valve, and hence it is necessary that it be not put under suflicienttension to unseat the air-valve.

Another object of the invention is to provide straining mechanism ofsuch construction that a predetermined tension will always be reachedand never can be exceeded in the proper seating of the water-valve.

Another object of the invention-is to provide improved means forpreventing the airvalve from reseating after once it is fully unseated,the object of this being to prevent columning.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

To these ends the invention consists in the features of novelty that arehereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, whichare made a part hereof, andin which I Figure 1 is a vertical centralsectionofa valve embodying the invention in its preferred form. Fig. 2is a horizontal section of a portion thereof on the line 2 '2, Fig. 1,looking downward. Fig. 3 is a face View of one member of the strainingmechanism. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views of two members thereof.Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of portions of a valve of modifiedconstruction embodying some features of the invention.

The casing 1 may be of any desired construction and is provided with thecustomary openings or ports 2 and 3, the former for the inlet of waterfrom a suitable source of supply and the latter for the outlet of waterto the riser, which supplies the distributingpipes, said ports beingarranged one above the other and with their axes in vertical alinement.The casing has the customary lowpressure chamber 4, which is between theports 2 and 3 and in vertical alinement therewith and which communicateswith the atmosphere through a valved drain-opening. (Not shown in thedrawings.) The inlet 2 is surrounded by a seat 5 for the water-valve 6,from the under side of which a guide-stem 7 projects downward andthrough the central opening of aspider 8, whereby the valve is guided inits movement. The casing has also a chamber 9, which is in opencommunication with the system, so that its interioris under systempressure. In the chamber9 is located the air-valve 10, which is adaptedto a seat 11, formed on a ring 12, which occupies an opening through aweb or partition 13, separating the chambers 4 and 9 and; roviding aport through which said cham ers communicate, which port forms a part ofthe main waterway and is in vertical alinement with the ports 2 and 3.The ring 12 fits the opening in the web tightly and has an annularshoulder 15, which bears against the under side of the web, and therebylimits the upward movement of the ring.

In addition to carrying the valve-seat 11 the ring carries belowthe web13 a yoke'comprising a pair of depending arms '16- and a pair ofhorizontal bars 17. At their outer ends the bars 17 are located asufficient distance apart to admit between themthe lower ends of a pairof levers 18, while the central portions of said bars are far enoughapart to admit between them the enlarged rectangular head 19 of acomposite strut or stem rising from the water-valve 6. The levers areprovided with openings for the passage of fulcrum-pins 20 which passthrough them and also through suitable openings in the bars 17. Abovetheir fulcrum-points the levers are provided with shoulders 21, whichwhile the parts are in normal positions are engaged by Y the head 19.

The upper ends of the levers are adapted to come together when,permitted to do so by the head 19, and when they are together, orapproximately so, they are engaged laterally by the shoulders 22,carried by the air-valve. As shown in the drawings, these shoulders arethe results of a frusto-conical socket formed in the under side of ablock 23, which has a central threaded 0 ening occupied by acorrespondinglyt eaded stud 24, projecting downward from the under sideof the valve 10. I desire to have it understood, however, that theinvention is not limited to the details in the construction of theshoulders, since I believe myself to be the first to provide avalve-holding device having a plurality of levers each having an armwhich is substantially parallel with the direction of movement of theairvalve and movable in a direction substan- 'tially perpendicular tosaid direction of movement and means carried by the airvalve andengaging said arms laterally for normally preventing their lateralmovement.

It will be seen from an inspection of the drawings that direction ofmovement of the air-valve is vertical, or in the direction of the axisof its stem 25, and it will be seen also that by reason of the locationof the fulcrums of the levers their upper ends move laterally orsubstantially perpendicularly with respect thereto. To state itdifferently, the direction of movement of the valve being vertical thelevers are upright, by which ismeant that they have approximatelyvertical positions. The frusto-conical form of the socket reduces theresulting shoulders which engage the levers to cam-surfaces. Thecorresponding portions of the levers are of complementary form, so thatwhen sufficient outward pressure is exerted upon the levers there willbe a cam action causing the valve 10 to be lifted from its seat.

It will be observed that there is no direct upward pressure against theair-valve, the.

only pressure tending to unseatit being the pressure between theengaging cam-surfaces aforesaid. The lifting effect of this pressureupon the valve may be increased or decreased by changing the angle ofthese camsurfaces with respect to the centers of movement of the levers.It is manifest that if the cam-surfaces were radial with respect to saidcenters no amount of pressure upon the levers would have any tendency toliftthe valve, while, on the other hand, by increasing the angle thelifting tendency will be correspondingly increased.

The location of the point of engagement between the head 19 and thelevers is an important feature of the preferred form of the invention,although in its generic aspect the invention is not limited thereto,but, on the contrary, includes other dispositions of said points ofengagement. In the preferred form the shoulders 21 are located betweenthe fulcrums of the levers and their points of engagement with theair-valve, so that the pressure of the head. 19 upon said shouldersproduces upon the levers pulling strains which are in direction awayfrom their fulcrums and in the general direction of the length of thelevers. In this arrangement the levers act as stirrups and transmit thestrains to their fulcrums, through the medium of which said strains arelargely taken up by the immovable abutments afforded by the bars 17, theremainder of the strains being transmitted through the levers to theshoulders 22.

The strut or stem already referred to is preferably made up of a rod 26,on which the head 19 is formed, a cylindrical stud 27 rising from thevalve, and straining mechanism for forcing the rod 26 and the stud 27the desired distance apart. This straining. mechanism has a sleeve 28,having a circular opening for receiving the stud 27 and the unthreadedextremity 29 of the rod 26, so that it may turn freely upon them, saidsleeve being preferably provided with a laterally-projecting handle 30for convenience in turning it. The upper end of the sleeve 28 engagesthe lower end of a second sleeve 31, which has threaded engagement withthe rod 26, so as to be adjustable thereon, a lock-nut 32 being providedfor holding it to its adjustment. The meeting faces of the sleeves. 28and 31 have complementary and ratchet teeth comprising alternating flatsurfaces and cam-surfaces, as shown diagrammatically in Figs. 4 and 5.These figures are intended to represent portions of the peripheries ofthe sleeves 28 and 31 as they would appear if laid out flat. It will beseen that the sleeve 28 has in the order named an inclined or camsurface 33, a flat surface 34 at the upper end of said cam-surfaces, avertical surface 35 extending downward from the surface 34, a flatsurface 36, a second cam-surface 33, a second flat surface 34, &c., andthat the sleeve 31 has surfaces complementary thereto. The linesbounding these surfaces are radial, as shown in Fig. 3, so thatdisregarding the surfaces 35 the face of each of said sleeves comprisesfour inclined or cam surfaces, four low fiat surfaces, and four highflat surfaces. The positions of these surfaces before the strain is.exerted are shown in Fig. l. By giving the sleeve 28 a quarter-turn theparts will be brought to the positions shownin Fig.5. In bringing themto these positions the stud 27 and rod 26 are separated to the extent ofthe height of the camsurfaces, and this is the maximum extent to whichthey can be separated. Hence it is impossible to produce an excessivestrain which would tend to unseat the air-valve 10.

As above stated, the-invention in its generic aspect is not limited tolevers of the precise construction shown in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 6 I haveshown an arrangement in which the levers are provided with shorthorizontal arms 18 the lower sides of which are preferably radial withrespect to the centers of movement and are engaged by the top of thehead 19. In this figure I have also shown a modification of thestraining mechanism. As here shown, it consists of a coupling-sleeve 37,having right and left threads engaging corresponding threads on a stud38, projecting upward from the valve 6, and the threaded lower end 39 ofthe rod 26, the couplingsleeve being provided with a hand-wheel 39" forconvenience in turning it. p

The operation of the two forms of the invention is substantially thesame. In both instances while the parts are in normal positions theair-valve will be held seated by the pressure of the air against itsupper side, and while seated the: shoulders 22, engaging the upper endsof the levers 18, will prevent them from moving laterally. vented frommoving laterally, their shoulders 21 (or their arms 36) will be held-incontact with the head 19 and acting through the intervening compositestem or strut will hold the water-valve 6 to its seat; but upon areduction of the pressure in the system the resistance which the valveoffers to the lateral movement of the levers will become insufficient torestrain them, and when this takes place the pressure of the wateragainst the under side of the valve 6 will force it upward and throughthe medium of the composite strut or stem will move the leverslaterally. The engaging cam-surfaces on the levers and air-valve willcause the air-valve to be unseated. The continued upward movement of thecomposite stem or strut will move the levers outward to the positionsindicated by dotted lines. When in these positions, they will be inengagement with stops 40, and while in these positions their upper endswill lie in the path of the block 23, so as to prevent the reseating ofthe valve 10.

A peculiarity of the valve which forms the subject of the presentinvention is that the air-valve is wholly relieved of any directpressure from the water-valve or the interposed connections and that theonly tendency of the water-valve to produce pressure upon theair-valvetending to unseat it is due to the cam action resulting from the lateralmovement of the upper ends of the levers 18,

While they are pre-.

this lateral movement being substantially perpendicular to the stems ofthe valves, or, to state it differently, substantially perpendicular tothe direction of movement of the alined valves and their stems, or, tostate it still differently, substantially parallel with the faces of thevalves themselves. It will be observed that the levers are disposed sideby side in similar relations to the valves and their accessories,excepting that they of course occupy difierent positions radially withrespect to the vertical center of the entire structure, including thecasing, the ports, the valves, and the valve-stems. As to its verticalcenter they are disposed at equidistant radial positions, so that alltendency to unequal lateral strains upon the air-valve is obviated. Idesire to have it understood, however, that, as before intimated, Ibelieve myself to be the first to provide a valve device with aplurality of levers each having an arm disposed in substantial alinementwith the stem or stems of the valve or valves proper and with thedirection of valve movement, or, in other words, in the generaldirection of the vertical center of the valve device as a whole, saidarms being movable laterally with respect to said center and beingengaged by a shoulder or shoulders carried by the airvalve, so that acomparatively light pressure on the top of the air-valve will preventthe lateral movement of said arms.

I am. aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide a leverupon'one arm of which the air-valve bears downward in a substantiallyvertical direction and to interpose between the other arm of this leverand the water-valve mechanism for holding the latter seated; but Idesire to draw a distinction between a lever having an arm upon whichthe air-valve bears downward in a direction which is substantiallyvertical and which is also substantially at right angles to said arm anda lever having an arm which is substantially parallel with the directionof movement of the air-valve, or, in other words, which in actualpractice is substantially vertical and with which a shoulder on theair-valve contacts laterally. The distinctionis a substantial one andconstitutes one of the essential novel characteristics of the inventionforming the subject of the present application. In the preferred form ofthe invention two levers are used, said levers being arranged side byside and with their fulcrums so close to the vertical center of thevalve device as a whole that the pressure of the stem of the water-valveis in a direction which is substantially parallel with lines drawn fromthe fulcrums of the levers to their points of contact with theair-valve. With this arrangement and disposition of the parts the leversact after the manner of stirrups,the strains put upon them by thepressure of the water-valve being in directions which are substantiallyor ap roXimately away from said fulcrums and su stantially orapproximately parallel with their arms, which contact with theair-valve.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. In a device of the class described the combination with the air-valveand the water-valve, of a pair of substantially vertical levers havingarms disposed side by side and movable laterally with respect to thedirection of the movement of the air-valve, means carried. by theair-valve and engaging said arms for normally preventing their lateralmovement, and means interposed between said levers and the water-valvefor holding the latter seated, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combinationwith the air-valveand the water-valve, of mechanism for holding the water-valve seated,said mechanism including a lever having an arm disposed in the generaldirection of the movement of the air-valve and movable laterally withrespect to said direction, a shoulder carried by the air-valve anddirectly engaging said arm, laterally, for preventing its lateralmovement, and a rigid stem interposed between the water-valve and thelever, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with theair-valve and the water-valve, of mechanism for holding the water-valveseated, said mechanism including a lever having an arm disposed in thegeneral direction of movement of the air-valve and movable in adirection substantially perpendicular to the direction aforesaid, meanscar ried by the air-valve and engaging said arm for preventing itslateral movement, and a stem interposed between the water-valve and thelever and engaging the latter at a point between its fulcrum and itscontact with the air-valve, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination, with theair-valve and the wator-valve, of mechanism for holding the water-valveseated, said mechanism including a lever having an arm disposed in thegeneral direction of the movement of the air-valve and movable in adirection substantially perpendicular to the direction aforesaid, ashoulder on the air-valve engaging said arm, the engaging facesof saidshoulder and arm being cam-shaped, and means interposed between thelever and the water-valve, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination, with theair-valve and the water-valve, of mechanism for holding the water-valveseated, said mechanism including a plurality of levers having armsdisposed in the general direction of the movement of the air-valve anddisposed at equal distances apart, said arms being movable in directionssubstantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of theair-valve, means carried by the air-valve and engaging said arms forpreventing their lateral movement, and means interposed between saidlevers and the water-valve, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with the air-valveand the water-valve of mechanism for holding the wa ter-valve seated,said mechanism including a pair of levers having arms movable laterallywith respect to the direction of movement of the air-valve, a circularshoulder carried by the air-valve and engaging said arms for normallypreventing their lateral movement and means interposed between saidlevers and the water-valve for holding it seated, substantially asdescribed. I

7. In a device of the class described the combination with the air-valveand the water-valve of mechanism for holding the water-valve seated,said mechanism including a pair of levers having arms arranged side byside and in the general direction of the movement of the air-valve, saidarms being movable laterally with respect to the direction of movementof the air-valve, means carried by the air-valve and engaging said armsfor normally preventing their lateral movement and a stem or strutinterposed between said levers and the water-valve, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a device of the class described the combination with the air-valveand the water-valve of mechanism for holding the water-valve seated,said mechanism includin a pair of levers having arms arranged side byside and in the general direction of the movement of the air-valve, saidarms being movable laterally with respect to the direction of movementof the air-valve, means carried by the air-valve and engaging said armsfor normally preventing their lateral movement and a stem or strutengaging said levers and the water-valve, said stem or strut beingadjustable in length, substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described the combination with the air-valveand the water-valve of mechanism for holding the water-valve seated,said mechanism includin a pair of levers having arms arranged side byside and in the general direction of the movement of the air-valve, saidarms being movable laterally with respect to the direction of movementof the air-valve, means carried by the air-valve and engaging said armsfor normally preventing their lateral movement,

means interposed between said levers and the water-valve and stops forarresting the levers in positions to prevent the reseating of theair-valve, substantially as described.

10. In a device of the class described the combination with theair-valve and the Water-valve of mechanism for holding the water-valveseated, said mechanism including a composite stem or strut having twoparts and means for moving them endwise relatively to each other, saidmeans comprising two relatively movable parts having alternatingcamsurfaces and flat surfaces, substantially as described.

11. In a device of the class described the combination with theair-valve and the water-valve of mechanism for holding the water-valveseated, said mechanism including a strut or stem, said strut or stemcomprising two parts, and straining mechanism forforcing them apart,said straining mechanism having a collar on one of said parts and asecond collar rotatively mounted on both of said parts, the engagingfaces of said collars being complementary and having alternatingcamsurfaces and flat surfaces, substantially as described.

12. In a device of the class described the combination with theair-valve and the water-valve of mechanism for holding the water-valveseated, said mechanism includin a pair of levers having arms movablelaterally with respect to the direction of movement of the air-valve,means carried by the air-valve and engaging said arms for normallypreventing their lateral movement and a stem engaging the water-valveand engaging the levers at points between their fulcrums and theirpoints of engagement with the air-valve, substantially as described.

13. In a device of the class described, th combination with a casinghaving a chamber and having vertically-alined ports leading into and outof said chamber, of valves adapted to said ports, a lever having asubstantially vertical arm, the upper end of which is movable in asubstantially horizontal direction, means carried by the upper valve andengaging said arm for preventing the horizontal movement of its upperend, and means interposed between said lever and the lower valve forholding the latter seated, substantially as described.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casinghaving a chamber and having vertically-alined ports leading into and outof said chamber, of valves adapted to said ports respectively, aplurality of levers having substantially vertical arms, the upper endsof which are movable in substantially horizontal directions, meanscarried by the upper valve and engaging said arms for preventing thehorizontal movement of their upper ends, and means interposed betweenthe levers and the lower valve for holding the latter seated,substantially as described.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casinghaving a chamber and having vertically-alined ports leadin into and outof said chamber, valves adapte to said ports respectively, a leverhaving a substantially vertical arm, the up er end of which is movablein a substantial y horizontal direction, said arm having a shoulder,means carried by the upper valve and engaging said arm for preventingthe horizontal movement of its upper end, and'a strut interposed betweensaid shoulder and the lower valve, for holding the latter seated,substan tially as described.

7 16. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casinghaving a chamber and having vertically-alined ports leading into and outof said chamber, of valves adapted to said ports, a plurality of levershaving arms occupying substantially vertical positions, means carried bythe upper valve and engaging said arms for preventing the horizontalmovement of their upper ends, and a vertical stem interposed betweensaid levers and the lower valve, substantially as described.

17. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casinghaving verticallyalined ports, of valves adapted to said ports, aplurality of levers disposed at substantially equal angles to thecentral line common to the axes of said ports, and substantiallyparallel with said line, means on the upper valve engaging said arms forpreventing their lateral movement and means interposed between thelevers and the lower valve for holding the latter seated, substantiallyas described.

CHARLES w: KERSTETER.

Witnesses H. M. PULSIFER, L. M. HoPKINs.

